Children’s Book Week100th Anniversary

Educator Kit

Brought to you by Every Child a Reader

READ NOW READ FOREVERExploring the Past, Present, and Future

Letter to Educators 3

Online Resources 4

EXPLORE THE PAST Prompts 5Children’s Book Week History Timeline 6Create a Slogan 8Draw a Poster and Giveaway 9

EXPLORE THE PRESENTPrompts 10Book Sharing Quiz 11Map Making 14

EXPLORE THE FUTUREPrompts 15Fill-in-the-Future 16Draw the Future 17

Table of Contents

Since 1919, Children’s Book Week has been celebrated across the United States. The longest running literacy initiative in the country, this celebration of books and reading for young people is closely connected with the rise and cultural importance of children’s literature itself.

Leonard Marcus’ introduction in 100 Years of Children’s Book Week Posters, published by Random House, provides many fascinating details of Children’s Book Week and the cultural and social changes happening in America that made a celebration like this possible. The program began thanks to a passionate group of librarians, educators, booksellers, and journalists. And it is still around today because of the commitment and dedication of this same group, positively affecting kid’s lives every day.

At its core, Children’s Book Week is a wonderful opportunity for kids and teens to connect with books and book creators, and to give teachers, librarians, booksellers, and educators a fun structured annual occasion to celebrate the love of reading that takes place coast to coast all in one week.

Our November week of celebrations is specifically targeted at engaging students in schools, libraries, and after-school programs across the country. We understand the importance of honoring the past, celebrating the present, and looking towards the future. That’s why this year’s slogan is Read Now ● Read Forever.

This kit is divided into three sections (past, present, and future) that emphasize the history of Children’s Book Week while allowing students to engage with and share their current favorite books, and think about their future story. This kit does not highlight specific titles. It is our hope that these activities and resources can be utilized by educators no matter what you have planned in your curriculum.

There is also a fun poster drawing contest for your students.

Thank you for your participation and for the work you do to create lifelong readers!

Sincerly,

Every Child a Reader

Dear Educators

This kit contains both group and individual activities for educators, librarians, and others. It is a jumping off point and Every Child a Reader has created many other resources you can use with students to bring reading and books to life.

Creator Corner Videos: Bring beloved authors and illustrators “into” the classroom with these 3-5 minute videos for Grades K-12. One hundred book creators talk about one of their book characters, why they create, and answer a funny question. This program is in partnership with KidLit TV.

Collaborative Poster Panels: 12 beloved illustrators have contributed their beautiful and inspiring artwork to help us celebrate our 2019 theme, Read Now ● Read Forever. Download and print “mini-posters” featuring each individual panel. The last two panels will be revealed during Children’s Book Week, November 4-10.

Official Bookmarks: Six bookmarks created by seven acclaimed illustrators. Each bookmark contains an activity component.

Comic Book Activity Kit: Six popular comic artists created story starters for students in grades 5-12. Activities encourage both writing and illustration.

100 Years, 100 Lists: Lists from our partners and friends that highlight books, reading-based activities, and more.

Official 2019 Children’s Book Week poster: Created by Yuyi Morales and with fun activity sheets, this poster is the visual centerpiece of our celebration and can be printed for display on a bulletin board or as part of a book display.

More group activity ideas: See more ideas you can do with students, complied by school and public libraries especially for you. (Scroll down online, under “Event Ideas”)

Find all resources online at EveryChildaReader.net/cbw

Online Resources

100 years! That is a long time. Things looked very different 100 years ago. Cars were still a new invention. No cell phones, computers, or social media. Can you imagine? One amazing thing about books is that they allow us to see into the past. Exploring the past can help us un-derstand the present and imagine the future. The past of Children’s Book Week is one small part of the history of children’s literature. The activities in this section invite you to learn about history of Children’s Book Week and inspire you in creating your own slogan and poster!

PROMPTSUse these suggested prompts for a group discussion or individual journal activity.

• Imagine what a Children’s Book Week celebration was like 10, 20, 50 or 100 years ago.• If you were president of the United States, what would you write a proclamation about?• If you could create a special award what would it be for?• Write a short story or poem with the theme More Books in the Home.• Books can introduce you to all kinds of moments in history. Write about what moment

in history is your favorite.• Imagine you are a mountain and you are sitting and watching the world change. What

have you seen? What do you see?• You have been asked to take a photo and turn it into a Children’s Book Week poster.

Describe the photo you would use.• In the past, ancient animals walked the earth. What kind of ancient animal would you

be, real or imagined?• Pretend you are Eleanor Roosevelt and write a “My Day” column.• Draw a picture of what you think the first public library reading rooms looked like.

Explore the Past

CHILDREN’SBOOKWEEK

THE HISTORY OF

First public library children'sreading rooms open across the country

1880s

Inaugural Newbery Award1922

Inaugural Caldecott Award1938

Inagural Children's Book Week with theme More Books in the Home. Over 3,000 posters ordered

1919

Even during WWII, Children's Book Week continues

1943

Eleanor Roosevelt mentions Children's Book Week in her column "My Day"

1954

Association of Children’s Book Editors establishes the Children’s Book Council to take over running Children's Book Week

1944 - 1945

Children's Book Week poster artist chosen in open competition

1949The first presidential proclamation for Children's Book Week issued by Dwight D. Eisenhower

1953

Photography is a mostly untried medium in children's illustration, making this an innovative poster

1933

Boy Scouts of America librarian, Franklin K. Mathiews lays out his idea for a national celebrations of children's books at the American Booksellers Association annual convention

1915

Art associated with Works Progress Administration is popular. Poster's represent Book Week in a societal context

Late 1930s - 1940s

Supreme Court declares that segregated schools areunconstitutional in Brown vs. Board of Education

1954

First episode of Sesame Street airs, this program is still on today!

1969

Children's Book Week 50thanniversary! The poster iscontroversial, with teachers and librarians questioning itsappropriateness

1969

1955

1965

CHILDREN’SBOOKWEEK

THE HISTORY OF

Inaugural Coretta Scott King award

1970

Children's Book Week 75th anniversary

1994

Children's Book Week continues to grow with the increase of children's only bookstores

mid 1970s

Children's publishers begin releasing old and new titles in paperback format

1970s

Over 100,000 posters given away!

2018

A yearly slogan is reintroduced to the program with One World, Many Stories

2017

In honor of the 100th anniversary, Children's Book Week is celebrated in both spring and fall for the first time.

2019

Children's Book Week moves from November to Spring

celebration

2008

The New York Times adds the Children's Best Sellers list after the Harry Potter series stays in the top spots on the fiction list for an extended period of time

2000

Original graphic novels for kids and teens grow in popularity

mid 2000s

Nonfiction books for kids get a make-over with new picture book biographies gaining in popularity

1990s

In Board of Education v. Pico, the U.S. Supreme court rules that books cannot be removed from a school library because school administrators deemed their content to be offensive

1982

First episode of Reading Rainbow airs (ends in November 10, 2006)

1983

Each year, Children’s Book Week shares a new slogan about books and reading. This year’s slogan, Read Now ● Read Forever, reminds us that discovering new books to love is always important.

Some of our favorite slogans from past celebrations.

1925 - After all - there is nothing like A GOOD BOOK!

1937 - Reading. The Magical Highway to Adventure

1938 - New Books ● New Worlds

1949 - Make friends with BOOKS

1965 - Sing Out For Books

1969 - Book Power

1985 - Good Books, Good Times!

2001 - Get Carried Away…Read!

2017 - One World, Many Stories

What slogan would you create for Children’s Book Week? Do some brainstorming, then pick your favorite to share!

Create a Slogan

Every year since 1919, an amazing artist has created a special poster in honor of Children’s Book Week. Now it is your turn! Draw your poster and don’t forget to include the slogan Read Now ● Read Forever.

WHY PARTICIPATE

Book Giveaway! Win books for your classroom, school or public library, or after-school pro-gram by entering student drawn posters.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Educators, register your location online (link provided in an email to all November partici-pants) by November 4, 2019.

Take photos of each poster drawn and submit via Dropbox (link to be provided when you enter your location) no later than November 18, 2019*. You can submit individual posters done by students or a group poster created by a whole class, book club, etc.

All poster entries must include the following**: • The slogan Read Now ● Read Forever • The words Children’s Book Week 100th Anniversary

Ten locations will be selected through a random drawing in early December. Winners will be announced on December 11th and a box of age appropriate books will be shipped in January 2020.

Email Shaina.Birkhead@CBCBooks.org with questions.

*Locations must complete the registration form to be eligible. Locations must submit all photos no later than November 18**For younger students, adults can help write wording on the page.

Draw a Poster

And now we are in the present! Let’s focus on the books and stories you love now. How do you share books? How do you experience stories? The activities in this section encourage you to read, explore, discuss, and share.

PROMPTSUse these suggested prompts for a group discussion or individual journal activity.

• What types of books do you love and why? What types of books do you normally avoid and why?

• Have you watched any of the Creator Corner videos? Answer the funny question at the end of each video, “If you found a whale in your bathtub, what would you do?”

• Take the “Share a Book” quiz and then write down the important things you want to remember to say when you share your book with someone else.

• Write or draw a story about your day.

• Write a short story around the theme Read Now ● Read Forever.

• If you could be any character from a book, who would you be and why?

• If you could visit any single new city in the world, where would you go?

• Why are books so important?

• Make a list of all the things you’ve accomplished this week. How do you feel?

• Draw/write the first page of your graphic novel.

Explore the Present

Think about the last book you read, or tried to read. It doesn’t matter if it has real people or unicorns, whether you loved it or not, or even if you finished it or not because thisreading sparked ideas and questions in you. But how do you share it with others? Do you always have to love the book to talk about it? We don’t think so… Answer the Book Quiz and see some suggestions about how to share a book with someone based on your answers!

1) Did you love the character(s) in this book? A. Yes B. No C. Kind of

2) Could you finish the book or did you stop part way through? A. I finished it! B. I put it down without finishing C. I finished it, but wished I had moved on to something I like more

3) Did the book make you ask questions (about life, the universe, the existence of dragons, etc?) A. Yes B. No C. Kind of

4) Did you have a favorite scene or moment you can’t stop thinking about? A. Yes B. No C. Kind of

5) Was it not your kind of book but you know a friend for whom this would be the perfect read? A. No, I loved it! B. Yes, not for me but great for someone else C. Kind of

6) Do you have strong feelings about the book you just read, good or bad? A. Yes B. No C. Kind of

Book Sharing Quiz

ANSWERSNow take a look at all your answers. Do you have mostly A’s, B’s, or C’s? Find a friend,classmate, or family member and share your thoughts on the book using the tips and sample scripts below!

Mostly A answersYou LOVED this book and can’t wait to share it with others. Think about all the reasons you loved it like the characters, the plot, the setting, and the main topic/theme. Now use thestarter script to share your thoughts with someone!“I read this book and need to talk about it! I think you should read it because it’s about ___TOPIC YOU BOTH LIKE___. There’s this __CHARACTER/SCENE/MOMENT___ that is so good I cannot even. [Share some of your other favorite things about the book, but be careful not to give away the ending!]. Please read it, I cannot wait for us to talk about it!”

Mostly B answersYou tried to read this book but it just was not your cup of tea. You did think of someone who might love it though. Find that person and use the starter script to encourage them to read it themselves!“I read this book and thought of you! I think you should read it because it’s about ___TOPIC THEY LIKE___. Also, this __CHARACTER/SCENE/MOMENT___ is so perfect. [Share some of the reasons you think this person will like it. Feel free to let them know it wasn’t for you but you thought of them as you were reading]. Please read it, I want to know what you think about it!”

Mosty C answersYou read or are still reading a book and aren’t sure how you feel about yet. Encourage someone you know to read it so you can talk about all your thoughts together. Use thestarter script to talk about all the questions this book sparked and start a conversation.“I am/finished reading this book and have so many questions! I think you should read it because it’s about ___TOPIC___. It made me wonder about __SPECIFIC ISSUE__ because this __CHARACTER/SCENE/MOMENT___ is complicated. Please read it, I want to know what you think and for us to talk about it!”

Book Sharing Quiz

Tip for lending books…We’re all for sharing, but know that books that are lent sometimes don’t come back… so if you want to keep your copy we recommend they get the book from the library or buy one at the local bookstore!

Tips for disagreeing nicely…You aren’t going to agree on everything with everybody. Try some of these sentence starters to acknowledge peoples ideas while sharing your own.

• That’s a good idea. Another idea could be…• Very strong point. I also think we could look at it from this other point of view…• I’m not sure I agree, I was thinking more that…• That’s a good point, however I also think that…

Book Sharing Quiz

Discovering a new world is one of the most magical things about a book. Pick one of your favorite books and draw a map inspired by it. And remember, maps come in all shapes and sizes!

Map Making

Educators, copy this page or provide blank paper for kids to do this activity.

Map Key

The future is as close as tomorrow and as far away as years from now, that’s why it’s some-times a hard thing to imagine. Books can help. Being your own storyteller or illustrator can help too! These activities ask you to look ahead and through reading, writing, and drawing envision the future.

PROMPTSUse these suggested prompts for a group discussion or individual journal activity.

• Write about something that you think will be invented in the next 10 years.

• Imagine what a Children’s Book Week event will be like 10, 20, 50, or 100 years in the future.

• Imagine you invented a time machine. Travel to the future and write about what you see.

• Write a story about going on an adventure with your best friend.

• Imagine you have become a writer or illustrator of books for kids. What would your first book be about?

• What would you do if you were one of the last people on earth? How will your actions be different if you were one of the people in charge of that small surviving group?

• Do you volunteer? Write about how your work in your community will impact it in the future.

• What types of transportation will people have in the future?

• How can you give back to your community?

Explore the Future

Books let us explore other worlds, cultures, and ways of living. They inspire us to think about our futures and who we want to become. Start with this fill-in-the-blank page to think about the story of you!

I want to explore

I am excited to learn about

I can’t wait to visit

As an adult, I want to read

As an adult, I can’t wait to tell kids the story of

The adult that inspires me the most is

The book that inspires me the most is

One thing I want to teach other people about is

If I could write a book it would be about

When I dream about my future, I see

Fill-in-the-Future

Authors and illustrators often use books to share their ideas about what the future might be. Draw or describe what your community could look like in the future. Pick any community and any time you want (school, town, family, library, your best friends, etc).

Draw the Future

Educators, copy this page or provide blank paper for kids to do this activity.